Cross-tool slide for multiple-spindle automatic screw machines



Dem-,2, 1930. y Q E, TRQBECK l 1,7835528- cRos s ToorJ sLIm mi MULTIPLE SPINDLE AUTOMATLG scRsw MACHINES Filed July 21, 192s if Q Patented Dec. 2, 1930 fumrre-n .isfrarles' OLOF ENOCH TROBEOK, OF BERLIN, GERVIANY, ASSIGNORTOTHE' NATIONAL'ACMECOL' Arrse'nr oem-.CE

IEAHY, 0F CLEVELAND, 'OIVE0,4A"C0-RPORATION OF @RO ences-Toon SLIDEk Fon MULTIPLE-SPINDLE iAUroMA'rrcSCREW MACHINES rl`his' invention relates' toi multiple spindle y '15 machine of the Gridley type.

l-leretofore inthe vuse 'of the lGrr-idley multiple spindle screw `machines,-for instance, of' the four-spindlei type,--the main cross tool slides at oppositesides ofthe 'ma- '2o chine have at times Yalso carried superim- `posed or supplemental' top cross tool slides, `one of whichv has been 4used'for instance for machining the' Work inthe third position'of the Work spindle, that is, the -Workcarried by a Work spindle located above that @upon which one of the `lower transverse toolslides operates,-but this organization lrequired that the feeding speed for the lower tool and the upper tool of the transverseslides should so be the same,this beingsatisfactory-,for certain operations but unsatisfactory for others, In other Words, when the nature of the Work required Working Vdistances of' different lengths, this required Ethat the lcombined slides have a movement equivalent to the longest Working strokewith the resulty that there Was ay considerable idle movement in the operation of one of the tools When the Work i required a shorter stroke. Consequently, the 4.o Working speed of the machine depended on the longest Working stroke, but as the rate of feed for each tool isdetermined by the'job to be done and by the materialto bemachined, which cannot bechanged, it lresulted that this idle or`lost time Ajust referred' to materially reduced the production of the ma l lchine as compared with' that which couldbe I secured Where each-tool' could have its'full use' Without interfering 'with thefvvork of the CO other.

.Tlierefore, the object of.` the present invention 1s the provision of an improved crossi slide :mech anisnr in i `which the supplemental or top tool slide islnot only supported but operated entirely independently ofthe bottom .crossY tool slide,-so thateach can havethe required -lengthof Vmovement i Without inter- `feringrWith the movement ofl the other. In other Words, the top cross toolslide for carrying. the tool" for operating upon a piece of Work carried `by the -Work spindle in the third position thereoffisqmounted on a slide supportedentirely free offand independently of the-lowen cross-slide carrying the tool for l-operatingfon the Workfof the spindle When' in the fourth ,position thereof, -Whichis im- 1zmediately belovvthatcof-the third position Work spindle, and is also operated byfmeans entirely inde-pendent ofthe means for-operating the-lower slide-With the result that each -slidef can have? the desired length of'fmovement,1 according-:tothe Work tobedone,

"Without interfering lwith or 'depending `upon ithefmovement of the other, thereby reducing the idle time and increasing the speed ofthe machine and sor resulting `in a yconsiderable saving in the time necessary for the perfor1nance ofworkfon the machine.

.Thus by the improved,` mechanism herein described, the Working stroke or speed of the "top toolslide canbe adjusted, as desired, according tothe Work to be operated upon entirely :independently of the stroke-or speed of Vthe bottom slide,-so that, if desired, the tool of the top slide mayohavedouble the speed or stroke as compared with the tool of the bottom 'slide or vice versa, thus permitting each :tool e to be` utilized to `its A. full extent,

`thereby materially inc-reasingl the output of the machine.

rFurt-hermore, the present improvement does iawayf entirely with the cumbersome means fheretofore :used for supporting the top slidetupon the fbottom slide and, therefore, in-

creases theaccessibility` tothe machine between the spindles in the third and fourth positions thereofA` and permits a` rnuch-` z greater `variety inf thearrangement of the tools.

i 4ldoreover; :the precision of thef `machining i operations is increased,- since the :meansshown for operating the top slide permits better adjustments thereof, resulting, as stated, in a greater precision of movement; and, furthermore, the simplicity of the improvement is such that it can be readily adapted in a very simple manner to machines already built and in use without the necessity of modifying the machine in any way or without even sending the machine back to the manufacturer for the application of the present improvement thereto, since the same may be readily applied in the shop where the machine is in use.

rFhus the advantages of the improvement are considerable and have materially resulted in the speeding up of the machines and the consequent loss of time in the performance of their work.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specificatiom-in which only so much of a Gridley four-spindle automatic screw machine is shown as is necessary to properly illustrate the invention- Figure 1 is a partly transverse View of a. four-spindle automatic screw machine illustrating the work spindles and a pair of slides at one side of the machine,-it being understood that a similar bottom cross tool slide is usually located at the opposite side of the machine and that this same form of top cross tool slide mechanism may also be applied at the opposite side of the machine, and

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1, partly in section.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode of operation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the usual four-spindle automatic screw machine of the Gridley type, the indefable work spindle carrier 2 is indexed by a suitable mechanism and is provided with four work spindles 3 which are rotated by suitable means. In Fig. 1 is shown, located at one side of the machine, an adjustable bottom, or lower cross tool slide 4 carrying a suitable tool holder 4 and tool 4, this slide being usually gibbed to a part or framework of-the machine and is reciprocated back and forth by a cam-carrying drum 5 driven in any suitable way from a suitable shaft carried by the machine. This drumcarri'es the necessary and usual cams or straps G for shifting the bottom cross tool slide back and fort-h, these cams engaging a roller 7 carried by the bottom slide; and when a similar form of mechanism is used at the opposite side of the machine, the opposite bottom slide is operated by a draw-bar Shaving a roller 9 cooperating with similar cams or cam straps 10, whereby the opposite bottom slide is also shifted back and forth simultaneously.

Bolted to the housing ot' the spindle carrier 2 a bracket or arm 11 for supporting the independent operating means of the top tool slide for operating upon the work in the third position thereof, and, as stated, a similar arm may be located a the opposite side of the machine, if desired. Located above this bracket is an adjustable top tool. cross slide 12 carrying a suitable tool holder 12 provided with a tool 13, and, will be observed, this top tool slide is supported or suspended, see Fig. 2, for reciprocating movement tow: "d and from the work and for adjustment transversely of its sliding morement entirely independently of and free from the bottom tool slide, so that the movement of one is not imparted to the other, as has heretofore been the practice, and consequently the bottom tool can have a long or a short movement as compared it-h the movement of the top tool and vice mism-resulting in a material saving in the idle movtn'ients of these tools and, of course, the machine as a whole.

The top tool slide 12 is dove-tailed or gibbed to a suitable complementary slide let secured to the work spindle housing and for operating this top tool slide entirely independently of the lower tool slide, the cam drum 5 is provided with an extension 15 formed preferably bolted to the cam drum 5 hereinbefore described. This extension rarries suitable cams or cam straps 15 co-operating with a double-armed lever 1T pivotally secured to the bracket arm 11 hercinbefore described. rIhe lower end of thisv doublearmed lever 17 is provided with a roller 18 engaging the cams 16, while the upper end has pivotally connected thereto a link 16 pivotally connected to the top slide, whereby, the top tool slide is shifted back and forth according to the length of stroke desired. As the drum extension may be fastened to the main drum by bolting it thereto by means of suitable bolts 19, it will be observed that this improved mechanism-coniprising he bracket arm 11 bolted to the work spindle carrier housing, 'the supplemental drum 1:3 bolted to the main drum, and the double arm 17 with its link or rod connection 16 t` gether with the top tool slide 12 and its supporting bracket 14- can be easily applied to machines already in use and provides a very simple top-slide operating mechanism supported entirely free of and operated entirely independently of the bottom slide, whereby the stroke of the top tool is entirely independent and free orn that of the bottom tool, with the result that a considerable saving of time in the operation of these parts, as well asin the operation of the machine vas a Whole, is effected.

It is to be understood that by describing i detail herein any particular form, 'structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements ofthe prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a Way of constructing and using the same, although Without attempting to set forth all orn the forms in Which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, I claim:

l. In an automatic multiple spindle screw machine having al Work carrier provided with a plurality of Work spindles and a sliding tool carrier relatively indexable and reciprocal, the combination of a sliding bottom cross tool slide, a sliding top cross tool slide supported independently ci said bottom slide, and cam means located transversely of the machine for shifting both of said slides independently of each other.

2. In an automatic multiple spindle screw machine having a Work carrierV provided with a plurality of Work spindles and a sliding tool carrier relatively indeizable and reciprocal, the combination of a sliding bottom cross tool slide, a sliding top cross tool slide supported above said bottom slide and both shiftable in a horizontal plane, and cam means located transversely of the machine for shitting both of said slides independently of each other.

3. In a metal Working machine having a Work spindle housing, the combination ot a sliding bottom cross tool slide, a sliding top cross tool slide supported independently of said bottom slide, independent cam means for shifting the tool slides independently oi' each other, and means attached to the side of the Work spindle housing for supporting Y said top slide above the bottom slide and located over said cam means.

l. In an automatic multiple spindle screw machine having a Work carrier provided with a plurality of Work spindles and a sliding tool carrier relatively indexable and reciprocal, and having a sliding bottom cross tool slide and means for shitting it, the combination of a sliding top tool slide suspended in position above the bottom tool slide and both shiftable in a horizontal plane, and means independent of the shift-ing' means for the bottom tool slide for shitting said top slide.

5. In an automatic multiple spindle screw machine having a Worlr carrier pro-vided with a plurality of Work spindles and a sliding @tool carrier relatively indexable and reciprocal, and having a sliding bottom cross tool slide, means for supporting it at the underside thereof for reciprocating movement, and means for shifting said slide, the combination of a sliding top tool slide,

means for supporting it at the top side thereof, and means independent of the shifting means for the bottom tool slide for shifting said top slide.

' 6. In an automatic multiple spindle screw machine having a Work carrier. provided With a plurality of Worlrspindles and a sliding tool carrier relatively indexable and reciprocal, and having a sliding bottom cross tool slide, means forsupporting it at the underside thereof for reciprocating movement, and means for shifting said slide, the combination of a sliding top tool slide, means for supporting it at the top side thereof, and means independent of the shifting means for the bottom tool slide for shifting said top slide, each of said slides being adjustable transversely of their shiftable movements.

7. In a metal Working machine having a Work spindle housing, the combination of a pair of cross tool slides located one above the other for shiftable movement in a horizontal plane toward and from the Work, a bracket bolted to the side of the Work spindle hous- 1 ing for suspending the upper slide and eX- tending laterally of the machine, a cam drum located transversely of the machine under said bracket andhaving cams thereon for shifting both of said slides, an arm pivoted to said bracket With its lower end in position to engage some of said cams, and a link connecting the upper end of said arm with the upper slide for shifting it independently of the lower slide.

8. In a metalworking machine having a.

Work spindle carrier, a sliding bottom cross v tool slide, and means for shifting said slide, comprising a rotary cam-carrying drumlocated transversely of the machine, the combination of a `sliding top tool slide supported independently of the bottom tool slide, anv

arm located at the side of the Work spindle carrier, a supplemental cam drum secured to the main cam drum, and means operated thereby and connected with said arm and with thetop tool slide for shifting it.

9. `In a metal Working machine having a Worlr spindle carrier, a sliding bottom cross tool slide, and means for shitting` said slide, v

comprising a rotary cam-carrying drum, the combination of a sliding top tool slide 'supported independently of the bottom tool slide, an arm located at the side of the Work spindle carrier, aA supplemental .cam drum secured to the main cam drum, means operated thereby and connected with said arm and with' .the top tool slide for shifting it and comprising a. double-armed lever pivotally connected to Asaid arm, and a link pivotally connecting it With saidtop slide.

10. In a metal working machine having a Work spindle housing, the combination of apair of jcross tool slides located one above the other for shiftalolel movement in a hori- Zontal plane toward and from the Work and also supported 'for adjustment axially of the Work, a bracket bolted to the side of the work spindle housing for :suspending the upper slide and extending laterally of the machine, a cam drum located transversely of the machine under said bracket and having cams thereon for shifting both of said slides, an arm pivoted to said bracket with its lower end in position to engage some of said cams, and a link connecting the upper end of said arm with the upper slide .for shifting it independently of the lower slide.

11. In a metal Working machine having a Work spindle carrier provided vvith a plurality of Work spindles, the combination of a pair of sliding cross tool slides, one located and spaced above the other, and means for independently operating said slides whereby the movement of one is independent of the movement of the other, said means comprising a cam drum located transversely of the machine and having independent cam- Jformed means for operating said slides.

12. In a metal Working machine having a Work spindle carrier provided With a plurality of Work spindles, the combination of a pair of sliding cross tool slides shiftable in a horizontal plane, one located and spaced above the other, means for independently operating said slides whereby the movement of one is independent of the movement of the other, said means comprising a cam drum located transversely of the machine and having independent cam-formed means for operating said slides, and a lever system betiveen said cam drum and top slide.

13. In a metal Working machine having a Work spindle housing, the combination of a slidingr bottom cross tool slide, a sliding top cross tool slide supported independently of said bottom slide, independent cam means for shifting the tool slides independently of each other, and means attached to the side of the Work spindle housing for supporting said top slide above the bottom slide and located over said cam means and having a laterally-extending arm and means carried adjacent to the outer end thereof and co-operating with one of the cam means for shifting the top slide. i

14. In a metal Working machine having a Work spindle carrier provided with a plurality of Work spindles, the combination of a pair of sliding cross tool slides, one supported adjacent to one of the Work spindles and the other suspended, adjacent to another Work spindle, said slides being spaced apart and independent of each other, and means for shifting said slides independently of each other and comprising a main cam drum located transversely of the machine, a supplemental cam drum secured thereto, and a lever system connected With the supplemental cam drum and the top tool slide for shifting it independently of the bottom tool slide.

15. A top tool cross slide adapted for attachment to inet-al Working machines having a spindle carrier carrying a plurality of Work spindles, and comprising a supporting bracket adapted for attachment to a part of the machine, a sliding top slide carried thereby, a cam-carrying drum adapted for attachment to a cam drum shifting a sliding bottoni tool slide, an arm also adapted for attachment to the machine, and means carried by said arm and operated by said rst cam drum for shifting the top slide.

16. In a metal Working machine having a sliding bottom cross tool slide, a rotary camcarrying drum located transversely of the machine for shifting said slide, a draw bar also actuated by said drum for shifting a similar bottom cross tool slide, a sliding top tool slide supported independently of the bottom tool slide, and independent means operated from said cam means for shifting the top tool slide.

17. In a metal Working machine having a work spindle carrier housing, the combination of a sliding bottom cross tool slide built into the machine, a sliding top cross tool slide supported independently of the bottom slide and built independently of the machine and readily attachable to the side of the Work spindle housing, and independent cam means for shifting the tool slides independently of each other.

Signed at Berlin, Germany, this 6th day o July, 1928.

OLOF ENOCH TROBECK.

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